British Asian Fashion: Has it finally got its own identity?

Asiana Couture Catwalk (L-R Mani Kohli Khubsoorat, Ashan's and Aada by Gudu G) Image: Rafyl

I've recently entered my 5th year of working on a British Asian fashion magazine. I've lost count of how many fashion catwalk shows I've been to, the number of trend reports I've written and the thousands of images I've sifted through. 

The fabrics, designs, colours and embellishments are always extraordinary but unless you pay attention to detail, it's hard to sometimes tell them apart. There are some key designers who set the trends each season but over and over again you see the same things happening. It's like fashion in general: trends go around in circles so to someone who doesn't know much about Asian fashion their immediate reaction may be...'it all looks the same'...and truth be told I wouldn't blame them. 

If you were to look back at the last decade of British Asian fashion you'll spot similar things occurring: red Latin inspired ball gowns, red and gold churidar suits, heavy Mughal embroidery...is it because British designers are too lazy to start setting new trends, they keep going back to the old ones?

This doesn't happen in India; their designers seem to be far more progressive. Take Manish Arora...

These snaps were taken at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month and customary with his signature style they are are bright, quirky and have personality.

Similarly the calibre of designers who exhibited at Lakme Fashion Week in India also in March this year were at the top of their game for being influential. In fact if the mainstream fashion press ever do want to look at the what's happening in South Asian fashion they'll go straight to these established designers in India and won't even thinking about looking at UK talent.

Well it's time they did. 

A couple of weeks ago a new kind of fashion show took place in Birmingham bringing with it evidence that British based Asian designers are finally realising the importance of developing their own style. The Asiana Couture Catwalk held at Edgbaston Cricket Stadium was a showcase of contemporary fashion for men and woman and for the first time showed signs of originality and 'trends' emerging which could so easily impact on the wider, mainstream fashion industry.

I felt the standards were good enough to compete on an international scale. I don't mean that to sound patronising...I just honestly think the clothes have got better to the point they don't look like 'British Asian clothes for British Asian people', but have wider appeal. 

Here are some of the outfits to explain what I mean:

Mani Kohli - Khusboorat (London)

Bombay Stores (Bradford)

Gul's Style (Ilford)

Adaa by Gudu G (Birmingham)

Arinder Bhullar

Kiran's Creations

Ahsan's (Birmingham)

Kyles Collection (London - jewellery)

There is absolutely no reason a Western A'list celebrity shouldn't wear one of the bold, red evening dresses by Kiran's Creations, that a slender popstar star can't wear the gold lace catsuit by Gudu G or a British woman of any ethnicity wear one of the floaty, summer festival themed kaftans available from Bombay Stores. 

Similarly I've met white English men fascinated by Asian men's sherwanis - they aren't all cream and gold and made for weddings; this darker pair have a smart theme to them which could easily crossover as an 'acceptable' form of menswear in public by again, a man of any ethnicity, without him looking like he's just come back from travelling, or leads an alternative/New Age lifestyle.

So what does this actually mean and does it matter?

Well sadly I think we are still many years away from a mainstream Western fashion magazine featuring clothes by Asian designers...but if these designers continue to keep their standards high, try and push boundaries and 'design' rather than copy each other or rely on past collections then I hope one day they'll gain wider recognition and become a more valued part of the British Asian industry as a whole. 

And that's just for starters...

As for what I wore to the fashion show, I'm currently going though what I'm calling my orange 'Oompa Loompa' phase and this ensemble kind of just came together from things already in my wardrobe. I'm pictured with the best-dressed man at the show, jewellery designer Anees Malik. Whenever I see him he always looks unique, also I so rarely meet (or see) Asian men that have perfected their own original image so he deserve a special mention!

If you're interested in finding out more about what's happening in the world of British Asian fashion then you should check out Asian Fashion Blog, Author Nazma does a sterling job of keeping abreast of the industry and her blog is packed with great pictures and keep an eye on Asiana.TV. Enjoy! 

All catwalk images taken by Rafyl 

Bins of Kolkata

I wasn't expecting to ever publish a blog post about public litter bins, but since Kolkata has a lot of unique 'garbage cans' I thought it was worth a share. 

These images were mainly taken in a particular park but that was only because the light bulb clicked at that moment to capture them. I had previously spotted creative bins around town, particularly in public spaces. 

The jaw shape on this croc isn't the most practical of designs...

Not all the public bins in India are overflowing with litter as one may be led to believe

This one would have been happier stationed at a swimming pool rather than a park

Conclusion? The bins in Kolkata are far superior to the bins we have in London! 

I should point out. Indian fire extinguishers are pretty cool too:

The Poush Mela in West Bengal

At any given point somewhere in India there is a Mela going on; as I discovered on my recent travels. It's no exaggeration that there was a community celebration going on every single day of my trip from energy companies sponsoring live concerts to religious devotional marquees erected in town centres to kite flying and illustration festivals in parks. In West Bengal, the biggest event of the year is the Durga Puju where the state celebrates a five day holiday. The second biggest celebration (although Christmas in Kolkata is a close tie) is the Poush Mela, held in the region's cultural centre Shantiniketan (which is a three hour train ride away from Kolkata.) It too takes place over Christmas (24th-26th December) and sees thousands of families turn up in their finery to enjoy the following:

Markets 

Essentials like gifts, clothes and toys can to be picked up at bargain prices, including posters of your favourite celebs.

Music 

Poush Mela is known for attracting Bauls; wondering, travelling musicians who entertain visitors with their impromptu folk songs. Once one begins to sing, crowds gather round and it turns into a frenzy of live performances, where you can slip between sets or join in with by showing your appreciation in the form of hand claps. There are also various stages and marquees set up where you can take a seat and get hypnotised by poets and speakers.

Theatre

Performers are everywhere, as are costume clad folk ready to pose for snaps and take your cash (kids especially), but this particular man was happy just scowling at my camera.

Food

Dining, naturally, is big business with catering set up inside tents serving everything from curried crabs to deep fried sweet corn. But if you're more into snacks, street treats are aplenty. My fave, the stall endorsed by Bolly star Sunny Deol.

Crafts 

It's possible to observe and shop for all manner of handicrafts, but not just during the Mela. Shantiniketan is home to hundreds of cottage industries from basketry to illustration - but more on those to come in future blog posts. 

 Games 

You can't have a Mela without a few games. Here's one I didn't see anyone win, which sounds ludicrous as it looks easy but actually was ridiculously difficult. The aim was to  throw a small metal hoop so that it landed directly over a packet of biscuits that you get to keep. Sadly I did not take a packet home with me.

Funfair

By day the traditional fairground looked rather quaint...

... yet by night it had come alive with lights as magnificent as the Blackpool illuminations

The Mela itself was HUGE taking over hectares of land almost becoming its own mini town for three days and nights. Family friendly, cow friendly and filled with colour, it was a great place to spend a day, but it's repetitive nature meant you wouldn't want to spend all three days here, especially when the surrounding area is so interesting. Best to combine it with a trip to visiting the local sights which include a prestigious university campus set up by the legendary Bengali poet Tagore.  

The one thing I'll never forget about Poush Mela was the aisle of bargain stalls where everything cost 10 rupees; the equivalent of 10p. The quality of the products was what you'd find in your local Pound shop but the amusing part was the loudness of the stalls with audio blaring out like a London cockney market stall exclaiming 'dosh taka, dosh taka, dosh taka', and with accompanying voiceovers of a couple discussing the benefits of the rock bottom prices. It was constant, loud and hypnotising and reminded me of the annoying nature of slot machines. Inside each stall sat a shopkeeper, whose ears I can only hope, were filled with plugs. 

Wondering around the Mela was of course thirsty work and thankfully there was fresh sugar cane juice being squeezed all over the site.
Despite its size and brief mention in guidebooks I didn't see a single Western tourist at the Mela, but I did get to experience a real sense of community spirit and happiness. There were all ages at the festival from elderly folk through to kids and all of them were mesmerised by the love and laughter in the air.

The Poush Mela takes places every December in West Bengal, India

Starting the new year on a high

I've just returned from the biggest and most exciting expedition of my life. I took a few weeks off to go travelling; visiting India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Every day was a highlight from riding vintage trams in Kolkata, going for afternoon tea in Darjeeling, embarking on a sunrise boat trip in Pokhara and meeting rickshaw artists in Dhaka.

I have so many tales to share over the coming weeks on my blog and I'm working on a travelogue where Ill be sharing my travel diaries.

In the mean time above is the photo that sums up how I feel about my holiday and how I feel about the coming year. 

I always like to mark the New Year by doing something out of the ordinary.

For January 1st 2014 I decided to take a private jet flight through The Himalayas. It symbolises taking a leap of faith, seeing the world from a new perspective, discovering a new found confidence and reminding myself that I can be whoever I want to be. 

Catwalk Highlights: Asiana Bridal Show London 2012

Last year I was backstage at the Asiana Bridal Show 2011 (the biggest annual Asian fashion event in the UK). This year I bring you front row seats and while I knew I’d be in for a treat…I didn’t literally think I’d see the sweet stuff. But in a worldwide first, Couture Cakes graced the catwalk, in an event that blended live Bollywood saxophone jazz, tango performances and of course showcased the best in contemporary and classical Asian fashion from the UK and India.

Does he come with the cake?

Coventry based bakers Cakes4U celebrate their 10 year anniversary this year. Over the last year their campaigns have featured quirky female models decorated in body paint and morphing into giant gateauxs. How do you top that in a live show? Have the cakes paraded around by hunky Pharoahs of course! It’s certainly one way to get noticed (the second being the fact they placed free cakes in the goody bags). Their philosophy is big is beautiful…it’s all about the biggest, best and most bespoke cake possible, none of these teeny cupcakes. I whole-heartedly agree; I’ve always preferred a proper slice of cake over a pre-decided portion in a paper case!

Cakes4U at Asiana Bridal Show 2012

Go on then..one more photo….after all it’s not every day I get to post hot male models on my blog…and this is in the name of actual news reporting!

Ziggi Studio at Asiana Bridal Show 2012

Having been the official catwalk reporter for the last two years (this year will be my third) I’ve developed an appreciation for the incredible workmanship, ideas and inspiration that go into designing Asian fashion. And one label that has never failed to disappoint me is Ziggi Studio, based in Birmingham.

Ziggi himself is only 20 something years old and already has several awards under his belt. His sherwani suits (long jackets worn over trousers) are bold and brave and introduce colour and texture into a garment that’s usually less flamboyant. As ever his collection was heavily influenced by the Mughal Era, but I felt they’ve come a long way since his launch. This year was high on sophistication and detail.

In another catwalk first, make-up and hair stylist Jawaad Ashraf took the unusual step of showcasing his beautifying skills on the catwak; it wasn’t about the body, but the face. And if his predictions are anything to go by, we will all be wearing super bright eyeshadows this season.

Jawaad's muse Miss England Hammasa Khohistani

  The pink eyelids on this look were utterly stunning though you could only appreciate them when they were closed which was hard to photograph! 

The hair was pretty mind-blowing too. I’ve seen these strange egg shaped hairdos before, and I have absolutely no idea how they work! How can they be so smooth?   

Kyle's Collection on the catwalk 2012

Kyle’s Collection are the original trend setters when it comes to British Asian Jewellery. I admit that I find their show room in Green Street, London, a tad scary but when you see their catwalk creations and witness what is possible in the realm of bling, it makes you want to place an order. As a follow on from last year, the team presented more pieces to compliment the hijaab and their signature piece was a stunning waist chain with back detail -shame the wearer doesn’t get to appreciate it!

Indian boutique Frontier Raas at London's Asiana Bridal Show 2012

Indian boutique Frontier Raas deserve a special mention because not only did they present a pretty rainbow selection of fairytale dresses like this prom style royal blue number, the first model that appears in their catalogue has a belly on her, one that's round and folds over…just like a real woman. The didn’t give into the temptation to photoshop her assets – this deserves a round of applause!

Harkirans bridalwear at Asiana Bridal Show 2012

  Surprise of the show was this pink girlie duo from Harkirans.I loved it!

I also like the long and layered trends seen in RDC’s opening collection.

Ekta Solanki

Other designers on the catwalk at the Asiana Bridal Show 2012 included Traditions, Monga’s and Ekta Solanki.

RDC Finale at Asiana Bridal Show 2012

 A full catwalk report with professional photos (not my amateur efforts!)  and trends will be appearing in a future edition of Asiana Wedding magazine – I will tweet when it’s out!
In the meantime there's another report on the fabulous Asian Fashion Blog.  
The show also rolls into Birmingham on Sunday 5th February.